Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Month
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Black, Asian & March Minority Ethnic Month 2021 Celebrating all cultures, identities and traditions why we’re trying not to use the term ‘BAME’ Many Black, Asian and minority ethnic people don’t feel valued when people use acronyms and blanket terms like ‘BAME’ to describe them. People can feel lumped together, and like their full identity and experiences aren’t appreciated. We really value the impact that language can have, and so we encourage everyone in our Creative Support community not use Performing the Jerusalema dance in Dudley for IWD! acronyms like this. Instead, be specific Find out more on page 2 about the ethnicity you’re describing and how someone identifies Welcome to our Black, Asian, and themselves e.g. Nigerian, South Asian, Minority Ethnic Month newsletter! or if you do want to refer to multiple groups write them out in full. Throughout March we have been celebrating and supporting our Black, Asian, and minority ethnic service To learn more, check out this video users and staff on our social media and website! We have where people share their experiences, shared their joy and excellence and have learned lots of bbc.in/3cBui7F or this Civil Service wonderful things by listening to each other’s stories about blog, bit.ly/2NkH95B our backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. This newsletter is absolutely overflowing with interesting things such as facts, recipes, interviews, and more so there Get involved with our Anti- is something for everyone! We’ve also got some important Racism & Affinity networks articles to raise awareness and that will hopefully allow everyone at Creative Support to be even more mindful of Any staff who are passionate about things that our Black, Asian, and minority ethnic service this work can get involved in our users and staff experience. Anti-Racism network, which includes opportunities to share personal A huge thank you to everyone who contributed - it couldn’t experiences, discuss issues and have been done without you. help develop our Action Plan. To get involved or ask any questions just We hope you enjoy reading it and that you find it as email [email protected] interesting as we did putting it together! UN ANTI RACISM DAY #WORLDAGAINSTRACISM DAY OF ACTION Saturday 20th March - Fighting Racism, Islamaphobia, Antisemitism & Facism 1 Glossary International Women’s Day This year the staff at Dudley Hub and Outreach Services Colourism - This is a form of chose to celebrate International Women’s Day by learning racism where people with darker and performing the Jerusalema dance! They thought it would skin tones are treated more be a good team building exercise, and once they had looked negatively and can experience into the story behind Jerusalema they thought it was a fitting more impacts of racism. It’s also tribute to IWD. when people are treated better because of having lighter skin Jerusalema began in December 2019 tones. when a South African singer Nomcebo Microaggressions - These are Zikode had lyrics come to her. Zikoke forms of discrimination that was a backing singer and just when may be unconscious or subtle. she was about to lose all hope of It’s when someone says or does being heard in the foreground, she something that is offensive wrote the song as a plea for God to based on someone’s identity. It’s answer her prayer. typically something that seems small, but has a lasting effect. An Zikode says that a mixmaster named Master KG called her example would be: “Your name late one evening to come to his studio to listen to new beats. is too difficult to pronounce, can I She listened to his track and the words just came to her. give you a nickname?” read the full The opening line is in Zulu, which is the most widely spoken article on page 8! language in South Africa. It translates to ‘Jerusalema is my home, guide me, take me with you do not leave me here’. Code Switching - This is when They recorded the song that night and since its release in someone changes their speech, December 2019 it has become a worldwide hit! appearance, and other elements of who they are as a person so The Jerusalema Dance Challenge was started by Zikode fans that they can “fit in” to a white in Angola. They made a viral video of dancers eating their space. lunch as everyone moves to the sound of the track, and kickstarted people learning the dance too! Allyship - This means ‘being bit.ly/3bNRwrX an Ally’ and supporting people who are Black, Asian, or from a minority ethnic background. It also means educating yourself on certain topics, challenging yourself and your prejudices, and raising up your Black, Asian or minority ethnic friends and colleagues when they are being ignored or Introducing The Halo Code at insulted. Creative Support! Intersectionality - This is when We are proud to reinforce a culture we recognise that different parts that values diversity and enables of society are marginalised and Black and minority ethnic people to when they overlap it can create be themselves without apology or the added levels of disadvantage. need to accomdate ‘white norms’. This includes characteristics such as race, gender and class. For Find out more on our website example, Black trans women are www.creativesupport.co.uk/ some of the most likely people championing-the-halo-code/ to be a victim of prejudice and violence because of race and gender. 2 Your Farzana Zahir - Service User Stories at Dudley Hub and Outreach Service Sabbiha Kausar - Service User I was born in Pakistan in I was born in Gujar Khan, Pakistan. I am one of a village near Rawalpindi. My father was a eight siblings with four brothers and three sisters. builder and my mother was a housewife. I I grew up in Pakistan and my dad was in the grew up in a village with everyone living in Army during the early years of my life. We owned basic farm-style houses and everyone had a shop with materials and had tailors stitching their own cattle. I loved helping my mom clothing for both women and men. I was keen to cook on the tandoor and helping in the learn how to sew so I did a tailoring course in my village with jobs as most of the village was teen years, learning how to do embroidery and either related or close family friends. We knitting. The Army set up a programme to help didn’t have much but we had community youngsters learn skills for life. love, and that meant the world to me. I loved visiting my relatives in the evening. I had an arranged marriage in 1994. My husband Something I really miss in England are the came to Pakistan and we got married. I was very open spaces and the beautiful scenery. young and felt really excited to settle in a new country. I came to the UK in 1995. The marriage I came to England in 2002, and settled with was arranged through family, but I was happy my husband. I have three lovely boys. My to accept my parents’ wishes. UK life was very health has suffered over the years and I strange and it was stressful at times because of struggle most days. I enjoy the sunshine the language barrier and the clothes, etc. and it when I can as it reminds me of Pakistan. all would be too much at times. I enjoy cooking, and in particular making I am living with my son who makes me feel really biryani. I also love watching Indian dramas proud. It makes me feel good to cook cultural and attending Creative Support’s community dishes I learnt in Pakistan, for my son and myself groups. Creative Support have helped me making kababs and curries. I love sewing Asian to gain confidence and recognise my worth. clothes (such as shalwar and kameez) when I am I am grateful that they are able to provide feeling well in myself. cultural events in the community. This really helps me as I am able to share things with What’s important to me is trying to live a life my family and gives me something to look according to my religion Islam, and being happy. forward to, and allows me to dress up and I enjoy reading the Quran, duas (prayers) and meet my friends in the group. finding out what the prayers mean as I read them in Arabic. I also enjoy watching Asian I am very isolated but I enjoy the social dramas. I loved the cultural days organised by distance walks provided by Creative Support, Creative Support in the community however it helps me talk about things that are due to Covid they have stopped. I am currently worrying me. It’s lovely that I am able to struggling with my mental health but I am also speak to the support workers in my really appreciative of the support Samina and mother tongue and they can Shazia have provided me with over lockdown, relate to my culture and faith. and to have someone who I can talk to in my This really means a lot to me language who understands my culture. as I feel more connected. Check out our social media pages for more great content throughout this month 3 Judaism is the oldest religion which believes in one God. It has been traced back over 4,000 years! Judaism is also one of the three major Abrahamic religions in the world (to read more about this head to Arise’s interview!).